#36 From Burnout to Balance: The Gut-Brain Connection No One Talks About

What if your anxiety… wasn’t just in your head? In this episode of Within, Nicky Wallace and Heidi Buttolph sit down with Heidi Valdez, owner of Mindful Counseling Des Moines, to unpack the powerful (and often overlooked) connection between chronic stress, gut health, and mental wellbeing. Heidi shares her personal journey from working as a school social worker to experiencing her own health crisis—one that forced her to rethink everything she knew about stress, anxiety, and healing. What started as daily walks and a gut instinct led her into acupuncture, functional medicine, and ultimately, a completely new way of supporting both herself and her clients. Now, she blends traditional therapy with holistic practices like breathwork, movement, and nervous system regulation—helping people move beyond just “coping” and into actually feeling better. This conversation is a reminder that: Stress isn’t just mental—it’s physical Healing isn’t instant—it’s layered And you’re not the only one feeling this way About Heidi Valdez: Heidi Valdez is the owner of Mindful Counseling Des Moines, where she works with clients ranging from children to adults using a holistic, personalized approach to mental health. With a background in school social work and her own lived experience navigating chronic stress and gut health challenges, she integrates traditional therapy with tools like breathwork, movement, and nervous system support. She also works with the Iowa Cubs as an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider, supporting both players and staff with mental health services. Connect with Heidi: Website: https://www.mindfulcounseling-dsm.com/ Email: [email protected] Text: 515-401-4168 About the show:  Within is a podcast hosted by Nicky Wallace of The People Co. It explores what happens when organizations stop chasing surface-level solutions and start doing the real work from within. Each episode unpacks stories of leadership, burnout, growth, culture, and the messiness of being human at work. Whether you’re in HR, leading a team, or just rethinking how work fits into your life, Within offers a candid and refreshing look at how people-first business gets built. Connect with hosts & guests: Nicky - Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/nwallace515/  Nicky - Instagram:  @Freedomtoleadwell Heidi- Linkedin- www.linkedin.com/in/heidibuttolph/ For more information on The People Co., check out our Webiste: thepeople-co.com For more information on The Potential Within, check out www.thepeople-co.com/potentialwithin